Relevant Events

Event Information:

• Wed

  16

  May

  2018

  Fri

  18

  May

  2018

  RightsCon Toronto

  Dear Friends,

  We’re inviting you to set the agenda at
  RightsCon Toronto
  (May 16-18, 2018) by designing and building a session through our Call
  for Proposals, open until
  November 24, 2017.

  We’re particularly excited to see your submissions under the track for Digital
  Tech and Sustainable Development, as well as Environment, Health, Land, and Labour. We are looking to expand the program on these issues for this year’s event, and it will be an excellent opportunity for collaboration across sectors.

  Why lead a RightsCon session?

  RightsCon is home to the world’s leading community of movers and shakers in
  the digital age. The event brings together policy makers, business leaders, government representatives, technologists, campaigners, and human rights defenders from around the world.
  RightsCon Toronto is set to be our biggest and most impactful event yet, with over 2000 participants from 110 countries and 750 organizations.

  Leading a session is the
  best way to make a direct impact
  at RightsCon: from identifying and mapping problems, to connecting with the right allies and partners, and workshopping solutions and ultimately driving change. By getting involved in the program
  and setting the agenda, you will gain expert insight, build new strategic partnerships, and influence global norms.

  What does a RightsCon session
  look like?

  Timely, engaging, outcomes-oriented, and creative. We suggest you start by reading
  our submission guide,
  as it offers helpful tips and suggestions for what makes a great proposal! There are many different formats you can choose from:

  Need to get our community together to problem-solve a major challenge? Design
  a Fishbowl.
  Want to launch or showcase a new internet freedom product? Do a
  Tech Demo.
  Have a specific policy or advocacy strategy you want to map out? Lead a
  Workshop.
  Looking to give a crash course on a recent development in your field? Give a
  Lightning Talk.

  There’s no one-size-fits-all approach in setting the RightsCon agenda, but the
  key to a successful session is picking the right format to engage participants and achieve your objectives. Still not sure which format is best? We’re here to help, email us at
  conference@accessnow.org.

  Attending RightsCon 2018

  Tickets
  are on sale now in
  limited
  Early Registration pricing! To celebrate the start of ticket sales, we’re offering another 20% -- just use the promo code
  OFF20. These tickets tend to run out fast, and will soon return to regular pricing! Be sure to act now if you
  want to get the best deal on your ticket for RightsCon Toronto.

  Speakers, Local Champions, and
  Community Participants

  This year, we’re strengthening our RightsCon community in a few ways, including
  with a new local champions initiative. You can check out our
  community page to learn more. In the meantime, here’s a sample of who you can expect to see
  and meet at RightsCon Toronto!
  Tara Denham,
  Director, Democracy Unit, Global Affairs Canada
  Harlem Désir,
  Representative on Freedom of the Media at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
  Amira Elghawaby,
  National Representative, Digital Communications at the Canadian Labour Congress, Contributing Editor & Board Member at Rabble
  Annie Game,
  Executive Director, IFEX
  Elinor Buxton,
  Senior Cyber Research Analyst, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, UK
  Michael Posner,
  Director at the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights
  John Ralston Saul,
  Co-Chair, Institute for Canadian Citizenship, author
  Kelsey Merkley,
  Public Lead, Creative Commons Canada
  Julie Owono,
  Head of Africa Desk, Internet Sans Frontières
  Kyung-sin Park,
  Director, Open Net Korea
  Fereidoon Bashar,
  Co-Director, ASL19
  Nighat Dad,
  Executive Director, Digital Rights Foundation
  Ronaldo Lemos,
  Director of the Institute for Technology and Society of Rio
  Dmitri Vitaliev,
  Director, equalit.ie
  Farhaan Ladhani,
  CEO and Co-Founder at Perennial
  David Kaye,
  UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
  Walid Al-Saqaf,
  Board Trustee for the Internet Society (ISOC)
  Eileen Donahoe,
  Executive Director & Adjunct Professor at the Global Digital Policy Incubator at Stanford University’s Center for Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law
  Alison Gibbins,
  Tech Community Engagement Lead, Royal Bank of Canada
  Sarah Saska,
  CEO, Feminuity
  Camille Francois,
  Principal Researcher, Jigsaw
  Judith Lichtenberg,
  Executive Director at Global Network Initiative
  Hans de Zwart,
  Director, Bits of Freedom
  Gabriella Coleman,
  Wolfe Chair in Scientific and Technological Literacy, McGill University
  Ron Deibert,
  Director of the Citizen Lab, author, and co-founder of Psiphon
  Alice Klein,
  CEO, NOW Magazine
  Laura Tribe,
  Executive Director, Open Media
  Michael Geist,
  Professor, University of Ottawa
  Plus many more!

  We’d love for you to join us at
  this important event. If you have any questions about your session proposal, registration, or our ticket discounts and special rates, please let us know, by contacting me or our RightsCon Director, Nick Dagostino, at
  conference@accessnow.org.